Drier



c. M. DoYLE 2,412,133

DRIER I Filed Nov. 5, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 .llflrll 1 C. M'. DOYLE Dec. 3, 1946.

DHIER Filed Nov. 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gmc/hw COLLIN M. DUYLE Patented Dec. 3, 1946 OFFICE conm M. Boyle, salem, omo, mimoto 'rhs Salem Engineering Company, Salem, Ohio Appucauun 'November s, 1942, serial No. 464,558

(ci. zes-a2) 3 Claims. 1 This invention relates to drying apparatus and more particularly to a unitary, portable, self-con tained assembly which is operative to dry small pieces such as small metal parts.

The primary object of the invention is the pro- '4 vision of a highly efcient apparatus of the character stated which is simple in design, compact and economical in construction, which may be completely assembled at the factory, and which may be readily moved about the parts manufacturing or processing plant as needs dictate. To this end all the operative parts of the apparatus are assembled on a unitary frame of minimum dimensions whereby the floor space required for the installation of the apparatus is materially less than in comparable devices heretofore proposed for performing the same functions. The frame is carried on skids and the major part of the necessary apparatus constituting the 'assembly is positioned in an out of the way location above the drying chamber.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision, in an apparatus of the character described, of an improved arrangement for generating the heat required to efiect a rapid drying of the parts and for injecting the heat thus generated into the drying chamber. These improvements enable the complete apparatus to be materially simplified and compacted and reduces heat loss to a minimum whereby a greater etilciency of operation may be attained.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in apparatus of the character described, of a practical arrangement whereby a material recuperative eiect is attained without sacrificing the eiliciency or speed of drying.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a unitary and self-contained small parts drier which may be readily coupled directly with otherequipment utilized in the particular process involved whereby the carrying out of the process or processes in a more continuous and economical manner may be effected. For this purpose the revolving drying v and conveying chamber employed i-s` so constructed and positioned in the assembly that it may be directly and mechanically coupledwith the revolving drums of preceding equipment. This preceding equipment may, for example,` consist of a combined pickling and washing unit utilizing one or more perforated drums at each stage. In this case the last washing or drying drum would be connected with the drying drum of the present apparatus and all the moving parts would rotate in unison to pro-l vide for the uniform and uninterrupted ilow of 2 the parts through the units of the complete processing line. Also the present apparatus is so devised that an additional dryingdrum may be readily attached to increase the length of the drying chamber which is ydesirable in certain situations.

The above and other objects and advantages'oi the invention will become apparent upon a consideration of the following detailed specication and the accompanying drawings wherein there is specifically disclosed a preferred practical embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of an assembled drier constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section, with certain parts. omitted, taken generally along the line Il-H of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is 'an end view of the apparatus oi' Figure 1; and

Figure 4 Vis a fragmentary side view'taken from the position IV-IV (Figure 2).

Referring to the drawings,lreference numeral In designates a cylindrical drum having a helical material moving baiiie or baiiies II positioned against the inner surface of Vits side wall. One end of the drum I0 is funnelled at I2 to provide an inlet for the pieces or parts to be dried and it will be understood that upon rotation of the drum I0 the parts entering at I2 will be caused to move longitudinally along the drum and be discharged at the end I3. The parts, of course, will remain in the bottom of the drum and will be tumbled about to a certain extent as they progress through the drum. This turning movement is of material aid in hastening the drying process.

Adjacent the end I3 of the drum III is a wear band I4 which is arranged to be engaged by rollers l5 journaled in a cradle I6 which, in turn, is pivotally mounted on a support I1 by means of a pivot pinA I1' A ring I8 is ilxed to the opposite end of the drum and pressed onto the ring I8 is a combined supporting and driving gear I9. As

lshown in Figure 1, the outer smooth races of the member I! are engagedby the flanged rollers 20 while the teeth of the gear are engaged by a spur gear 2| which, in turn, is driven by a pinion 22 fixed to the shaft of a geared motor 23. It will be understood that at least two circumferentially spaced sets of rollers 20 will `be employed to lend lateral stability to the drum. 'Ihe rollers 20 as well as the gear 2|, motor 2l and supports I1 are mounted lon abase consisting of the spaced iongitudinauy extending skids u and the transverse angle sections 26 and 26.'

Extending upwardly from and rigidly secured to each of the skids 24 are two longitudinally spaced frame section members 21 which are interconnected at `their upper ends with transverse and longitudinal members 26 and 26, respectively, to provide a box-like frame structure for the sup# port of the parts to be described below. As shown in the drawing, ,suitable gusset plates are fastened into the corners of the frame to provide the proper strength and rigidity.

Supported on the semi-cylindrical hangers 30 and al which' are welded or otherwise suitably 4 an auxiliary source of drying air is provided by one or more slide valves 63' located in the wall of the chamber 40 adjacent the llame end oi the burner 42. The air inlet to the blower 46fis provided by a chamber 64 from which extends a large conduit 66 leading from the space about the drum I0 and within the chamber formed by the walls 32 and 33 as indicated in Figures 2 and 4. To insure that an adequate supply of air is always delivered by the blower 46 a slide valve 66 may be provided in the conduit 56 to take in as much outside air as may be required.

In operation, with the blower 43 furnishing a supply of air under pressure to the conduits 62 and 46, if the burner 42 isnow lit combustion will ticular apparatus chosen for illustration the lower portion of the pipe 36 is provided with live air discharge openings 38 which are positioned to one side of the vertical plane passing through the central axis of the pipe. Ihis is the side on which the parts being dried tend to accumulate upon rotation of the drum in the direction indicated. The openings 36 which are closer to the inlet I2 of the drum I0 are closerv to this plane than are the discharge openings which are fur-L ther removed. v

Secured to or formed in the inner surface of the cylindrical wall of the drum I Il are a plurality oi circumferentlally spaced tumbler ribs V36, the function of which is to increase the extent oi turning movement of the parts passing through the drier as will bel understood. To assist the drum in discharging the parts theribs'. are preferably omitted in the last space convolution adjacent the discharge end I3 of the drum.

Supported on top of the frame provided by the members 21-26 is a combustion chamberor retort 40 preferablyk having a sheet metal shell and a refractory lining 4I. A burner 42 is posi` tioned in the retort 40 at one end thereof and connecting with the burner is a gas-air aspirator mixer 43, the details of which are unimportant in the present invention. Gaseous fuel is supplied to the mixer and burner through the conduit 44 by a valve 46 therein which may be either manually or automatically controlled and primary air for combustion is furnished by conduit 46 having a -valve 41 therein `'which may likewise be either manually or automatically controlled.

' Drying air aswell as primary air for combustion is furnished by a blower 48 driven by the motor 49 which are also mounted on top of the frame provided by the members 21--26 at the burner end of the combustion chamber 4 0. It will be observed that at the end of the chamber 4II opposite the burner 42.,there is provided av Venturi outlet 66 which is connected with the pipe 36 through the conduit 6I. Connected with the outlet of the blower 46, and extending into the combustion chamber 46 is a conduit 62 which is provided with an end nozzle 63 positioned substantially in the throat of the outlet 60. It should also be observed that the conduit 46 supplying primary air for combustion is supplied from the conduit 62. lSecondary air for combustion and take place in the chamber 4I!` and the volume of the hot gaseous products of combustion will be Aaugn'iented by the air taken in through the valve or valves 63. The hot gases and air. thus provided will be withdrawn from the chamber 46`by the decrease in pressure created in the chamber by the ilow of the air stream from the nozzle 63 through the restricted passage 60 as will be well understood. The gas and air from chamber 46 will be mixed with the air issuing from the nozzle 63 and this mixture will be forced into the pipe 36 through the conduit 6I. Assuming the motor 23 to be in rotation, as the parts or other oblects to be dried are charged through the end I2 the same will fall into the space convolutions between the baiiles Il and be moved longitudinally through the drum directly opposite the air discharge openings 33. At the lsame time the ribs 33 will operate to rotate or tumble the objects or parts thus further increasing the'speed of the l L drying process.

It will be understood that the drying gas and air after having been blown over the wet parts will become heavily laden with moisture and, this being the case, this iluid is then allowed to 'esl cape out both ends of the drying drum. How.-

ever. it is obvious that a substantial amount of,

heat will be imparted to the drum, particularly tion this heat is reclaimed by exhausting the air from the space immediately surrounding the drum into the blower 46. This is the function of the conduit 66 and the recuperation is further enhanced by the insulation provided at'36. vIt will be noted that the sidewall of the drum I6 is impervious to the ilow oi gas or air so that none o! the moisture laden iluid is drawn into the blower 46. Air is taken into the space between the drum III and wall 33 through the necessary clearances between the drum and the end walls 32. Thus the air is caused to move in wiping contact with the outer surface o! the drum Ill thereby insuring maximum heat transfer.

As stated above. the apparatus ot the invention is particularly suited to be connected dlrectly and mechanically with handling and/or conveying drums of other equipment whereby the processing ofthe small parts may proceed in a continuous manner and with a minimum of batch handling. For this purpose the drum I6 is located fairly close to the iloor level and thecharging end I2 is provided with a flange 61 which may be bolted to a similar flange of the end drum oi' a preceeding piece ofequipment as will be understood...A When the drum III is so connected by the nange 61 the supporting cradle I6 may rock one way or the other thus avoiding the necessity ot aligning the base 24, 25 accurately with respect to the base or frame of the preceding piece of equipment.

It should now be apparent that I have provided an improved unitary, portable, self-contained small parts drier which accomplishes the objects initially set out. The apparatus is compact, readily constructed, and highly eillcient in operation. The complete apparatus is light in weight and may readily be moved about on the skids 24, the only installation required being the provision of a gas connection and an electric current connection. Skids 24 and structural members 25, 26, 21, 28 and 28 constitute a portable frame enabling the complete apparatus to be moved about 4as a unit.

rBy reason of the high 'temperature maintained in the retort or combustion chamber 40 the fuel consumed is much more eciently utilized since complete combustion is effected. This is brought about by furnishing an excess ofv secondary air through the valves 53' and, of course, any unused portion of the air as well as the hot gaseous products of combustion is utilized as drying fluid in the drum it. A substantial part of the heat generated is reclaimed by conduction through the wall of the drum and absorption in the air which tion, a flange connected to and extending radially outward of the outer end of said tapered portion and adapted to be rigidly and mechanically c'on-` nected to a rotating part of an adjoining apparatus whereby material to be dried may be charged directly into said drum from said last mentioned apparatus, means in said drum to move the materiai iongitudinauy through said drum, air heating means supported on said vuprights, a blower supported on said uprights, and means comprising said blower to move heated air from said air heating means into said drum. I

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising in combination a portable frame having a base and uprights on said base, a, horizontally disposed drying drum rotatably mounted in said frame for rotation about an axis extending intermediate said uprights, means in said drum to is drawn into the' casing 33-34, passed through the blower, and delivered to the drying'chamber through the conduits 52 and 36. The helix .Il aids in the conduction of the heat to the cylindrical shell of the drum I0. y

While the use of above described burner and combustion chamber is the preferred method of providing the necessary heat for the drying apparatus of the invention, it should be understood that other suitable methods may be resorted to. For example, electric resistance heating elements or steam coils enclosed in a suitable housing or chamber may be provided for this purpose.

The above specifically described embodiment oi the invention should therefore be taken as illustrative only as obviously many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.. Reference should therefore be had to the appended claims in 'determining the scope and extent of the invention.

What I claim is: 1. .Apparatus of the character described comprising a portable frame having a base and uprights on said base, a horizontally disposed drying drum rotatably mounted in said frame for rotation about an axis extending intermediate said uprights, said drum having a tapered end p ormove the material being dried longitudinally through said drum, said drum having .a centrally open material charging end, air heating means supported on l said uprights, a blower supcharge end thereof, and means comprising said blower and duct to move heated air from said air heating means into said drum.

3. Portable drying apparatus having .a box-like frame, a tubular insulating shell mounted in said frame, a rotary drying drum having a material moving helix therein and rotatably mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis of said shell, said drum projecting outwardly from either end of said shell, a combus-tion chamber having n a fluid fuel burner therein mounted on said frame above the discharge end of said drum andhaving a portion overhanging the discharge end of said drum, a motor driven blower mounted on said frame above th'e opposite end portion of said' drum and having an inlet conduit communicating with. the space intermediate said drum and shell, the bottom wall'of the overhanging portion of---said combustion chamber having a `Venturi opening therein, a conduit connected with the outlet of said blower and projecting through a wall of said combustion chamber to a discharging position in said Venturi opening, a distributing tube projecting into the said discharge end ,of said drum, and a short curved tube interconnectingsaid Venturi opening and said ydistributing tube.

COLLIN M. DOYLE. 

